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Fusarium graminearum is a cereal pathogen responsible for economic losses worldwide every year. An understanding of its growth is key to control its infection, but current growth models are limited because their size-based approach provides little information about the mold's metabolism. Recently, a RGB (red, green and blue) imaging analysis demonstrated the predictability of F. graminearum color change as it grows in yeast extract agar (YEA). This study aimed to verify the same phenomenon in oats (aw = 0.94, 0.97 and 0.99) and rice (aw = 0.97, 0.98 and 0.99). Photos were taken using a professional camera and a smartphone (iPhone 6) after incubation and during the subsequent 16 days, and average RGB was quantified using ImageJ software. The photos showed very similar color variations, regardless of the type of grain or aw. The mold first adopted a k-selection strategy by growing as a mycelium and then a r-selection strategy, increasing spore production. All RGB channels showed positive Pearson correlations between them (p < 0.001) and it was possible to design a model showing two lag phases, the first prior to a mycelial phase and the second prior to a sporular phase at the end of the experiment.

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Novel sensing technologies for liquid biopsies offer a promising prospect for the early detection of metabolic conditions through -omics techniques. Indeed, high-field NMR facilities are routinely used for metabolomics investigations on a range of biofluids in order to rapidly recognize unusual metabolic patterns in patients suffering from a range of diseases. However, these techniques are restricted by the prohibitively large size and cost of such facilities, suggesting a possible role for smaller, low-field NMR instruments in biofluid analysis. Herein we describe selected biomolecule validation on a low-field benchtop NMR spectrometer (60 MHz), and present an associated protocol for the analysis of biofluids on compact NMR instruments. We successfully detect common markers of diabetic control at low-to-medium concentrations through optimized experiments, including glucose (≤ 2.6 mmol./L) and acetone (25 μmol./L), and additionally in readily-accessible biofluids. We present a combined protocol for the analysis of these biofluids with low-field NMR spectrometers for metabolomics, and offer a perspective on the future of this technique appealing to point-of-care applications.

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In this work we discuss the insights from activity landscape, docking and molecular dynamics towards the understanding of the structure-activity relationships of dual inhibitors of major epigenetic targets: lysine metiltransferase (G9a) and DNA metiltranferase 1 (DNMT1). The study was based on a novel data set of 50 published compounds with reported experimental activity for both targets. The activity landscape analysis revealed the presence of activity cliffs, e.g., pairs of compounds with high structure similarity but large activity difference. Activity cliffs were further rationalized at the molecular level by means of molecular docking and dynamics simulations that led to the identification of interactions with key residues involved in the dual activity or selectivity with the epigenetic targets.

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Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a well-known mycotoxin, responsible for outbreaks of gastrointestinal disorders in Japan. Fusarium graminearum, a parasite of cereal crops, produces this toxin and this is one of the reasons why it is important to understand its metabolism. It is possible to predict the mold’s color change and the quantity of DON synthesized throughout its lifecycle. Furthermore, aw has been found to affect the amount of DON. This study aimed to analyze the potential of F. graminearum surface color as a predictor of DON concentration at aw = 0.94, 0.97 and 0.99. Thus, 36 specimens were incubated at 25 °C, 12 at each aw. After 4, 8, 12 and 16 days, 3 specimens from each aw were collected for color analysis and DON quantification. For color analysis, photos were taken and red, green and blue (RGB) channels were measured on ImageJ software. DON was quantified through liquid chromatography (HPLC). Color changes were only observed at aw = 0.99 because at lower aw the molds presented high growth of white mycelium. Yet, DON increased in all cases. It was only possible to relate the colors with DON concentration at aw = 0.99, where they presented inverse proportionality.

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Background: Sodium intake has been related to several adverse health outcomes; such as, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Processed foods are major contributors to the population’s dietary sodium intake. The aim of the present study was to determine sodium levels in Mexican packaged foods; also to evaluate the proportion of foods that comply with sodium benchmark targets set by the UK Food Standards Agency (UK FSA) and those set by the Mexican Commission for the Protection of Health Risks (COFEPRIS). We also evaluated the proportion of foods that exceeded the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) targets. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that comprised data collected from the package of 2,248 processed foods from selected supermarkets of Mexico. Results: Many processed food categories contained excessive amount of sodium, being the processed meats (ham, bacon and sausages) those that have the highest concentrations. The proportion of foods classified as compliant in our sample was lower for international targets (FSA UK and PAHO) compared to the Mexican COFEPRIS criteria. Conclusions: These data provide a critical baseline assessment for monitoring sodium levels in Mexican processed foods.

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It has been a challenge to visualize in nature some concepts from abstract subjects such as mathematics and philosophy. Irrationality is certainly among the least comprehensive. This essay aimed to propose that irrationality is simply an illusion resulting from the human inability to grasp the full nature of reality, rather than actual continuity flaws in the fabric of existence. There are three major arguments: (1) human senses have limitations and these are likely to be extended to the intellect, (2) there are no observable existential discontinuities in everyday experience, and (3) some rational phenomena have irrational components. These arguments point towards the existence of a physical existence of irrational quantities or distances, visible to the human eye but not fully comprehended through arithmetic abstraction.

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Fusarium graminearum causes head blight in wheat and corn, and produces chemicals harmful for humans and other animals. It is important to understand how it grows in order to prevent outbreaks. There are 3 well-known growth models for microorganisms and they seem applicable to molds: linear, Gompertz and Baranyi. This study aimed to see which could better represent F. graminearum growth. Three replicates were grown in yeast extract agar (YEA) for 20 days. The Feret’s radius was measured in ImageJ software, and then related to the models. Linear model was the most closely correlated to the actual growth. Thus, considering that it was the most representative of the reality and it is easier to use, it seems to be the best logical choice for F. graminearum growth studies.

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Several studies explore in depth the biochemistry and genetics of the pigments present in Fusarium graminearum but there is a need to discuss about their relationship with the mold’s observable surface color pattern variation throughout its lifecycle. Furthermore, they require basic cataloguing and description of their major features known so far. Colors are a viable alternative to size measurement in growth studies. When grown on yeast extract agar (YEA) at 25 °C, F. graminearum initially exhibits a whitish mycelium, developing into a yellow-orange mold by the sixth day and then turning into wine-red. The colors are likely due to accumulation of the golden yellow polyketide aurofusarin and the red rubrofusarin, but the carotenoid neurosporaxanthin possibly play also a major role in the yellow or orange coloration. Torulene might contribute for red tones but it perhaps ends up being converted into neurosporaxanthin. Culmorin is also present but it does not contribute for the color, though it was initially isolated in pigment studies, and there is the 5-deoxybostrycoidin-based melanin, but it occurs mostly in the teleomorph’s perithecium. There is still a need to chemically quantify the pigments throughout the lifecycle, analyze their relationships and how much each impacts F. graminearum surface color.

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This article aims to serve as a guide for the construction of supply chain simulation models designed with a lean approach, using Promodel software. To achieve this, a supply chain was designed for a fictitious company located in the City of Celaya, Guanajuato and a set of suppliers located in different cities within the same State. It was used as a google tool to define the distances between each of the companies. As a final result, a representative model of a supply chain was obtained, as well as a methodology that allows the construction of lean supply chains regardless of the number of companies that comprise it. The effect of the variability in the delivery times between suppliers was incorporated into the simulation model, as well as an equation that calculates the pollution emissions of the vehicles that integrate the network that moves the products between the companies. With this work it is possible to represent networks of supply chains of real world companies, where the variability and contamination factor is included, to facilitate the decision making regarding the number of vehicles, inventory levels, quantities to be shipped, frequency in the shipments, etc. with the purpose of contaminating as little as possible and at the same time preventing interruptions in the supply chain using the least amount of resources possible.

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The Mozambican dairy industry landscape is not well known because the research about it presents numerous inconsistencies. These inconsistencies are possibly due to miscommunication between scholars, entrepreneurs, the government and other actors, besides major events such as the civil war and policy changes and overall lack of coordination. This study aimed to catalog and relate the major studies and findings in the Mozambican dairy research, contextualize them historically, analyze the implications and provide hints for future researchers. Dairy research seemed intimately related to the industry’s development, and it has been dependent on the country’s sociopolitical changes and opportunities. Social and economic studies are more abundant, perhaps because the dairy industry is emerging, thriving to stand out in a very competitive environment, but there are also studies in applied sciences, especially microbiology and chemistry. There are promising directions to follow such as the improvement of herding techniques (e.g. feeding, disease control), multidisciplinary synergies or exploration of traditional dairy products such as masse. Also, it would be important for institutions to share their research through electronic platforms, even the information published prior to the existence of the worldwide web.

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Markets from Maputo City have been reported to have poorly hygienic premises and sellers unaware of the safest food handling practices. This study aimed to analyze associations between some lettuce (Lactuca sativa) handling features and the levels of total, fecal coliforms and Escherichia coli. Cabbage was purchased in the 3 markets. Just before the acquisition, the researchers recorded the source of water used to wash it, if they were sold in booths or on the floor, if they were sold mixed with other products, and if the sellers were wearing gloves. The cabbage heads (42) were analyzed through the technique of multiple tubes to estimate the most probable number. Average levels were 14.43 MPN/g for total coliforms, 13.9 MPN/g for fecal coliforms and 12.02 MPN/g for E. coli. The highest levels of contamination seemed associated with the use of well water, the food sold on the floor, the lettuce sold together with other products and the lack of gloves. The mixture of products only showed a major impact on the level of E. coli (p < 0.001). Yet, all levels were within the satisfactory range, according to the guidelines from The International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF).

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Aflatoxins are a known cause of primary liver cancer in Mozambique since pre-independence epidemiological studies. However, their impact goes beyond the public health, affecting the country’s economy and raising legal concerns. As a developing country endemic for Aspergillus, the nation has been struggling to keep pace with external trade quality demands, delicate policy making, still dealing with the farmers’ limitations to control the contamination. The contamination shows variations over time, space and the different commodities. Considering the recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius, the major crops will be highly implicated unless there is major intervention from the authorities to control the toxins.

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Urinary tract infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Mozambique. They are sometimes treated empirically with nitrofurantoin. However, little is known about this antibiotic’s performance and bacterial resistance in the country. This study analyzed the results of nitrofurantoin sensitivity tests requested in the Central Hospital of Maputo during 2012 and 2013. As result, 181 samples were tested and most cases (66.9%) showed absolute sensitivity but there were considerable cases of resistance (29.8%). Morganella morganii was the only bacteria presenting no absolute or intermediate resistance. The sensitivity was also high in the case of Escherichia coli (90%) and Gram-negative bacteria (66.7%). Serratia marcescens was mostly resistant (64.3%). The remaining bacteria showed inconclusive results. Thus they shall be subjected to a sensitivity test before prescription. Factors such as seasonality, patients’ sex and urine transparency did not seem to be reliable indicators of microbial resistance in the urine. Yet, a longer time span (over 5 years) might be sufficient for the sensitivity profile to change.

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The protection of Geographic Indications (GIs) is part of the intellectual property (IP) rights described in the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) after the Uruguay Round (1986-1994). The members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), including Mozambique, have adopted it. This country legislated GI under Decree 18/99 (04/05/1999, title II, chapter VI) of the national Industrial Property Code, harmonised with TRIPS. However, there is little information about its enforcement and impact in the industry. This review analyses the possibility of protecting the Mozambican cashew nuts industry under the GI act. The industry, with major participation of smallholders and employing mostly women, produces one of the most profitable export commodities, though it has suffered colossal losses over the last thirty-five years. The analysis has shown that it is suitable and probably advantageous to protect the cashew nuts under the Decree 18/99. On the other hand, other local trade policies from 1991 are negatively impacting the entire industry and these might create the illusion of inefficacy of the new IP rights including the protection of GIs.

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In Mozambique, the aflatoxin research started in 1960’s and has been carried through apparently unrelated efforts according to opportunities. However, there was a major trend divided in early epidemiological studies and recent agricultural research. Early investigators found strong correlation between aflatoxin contamination and primary liver cancer. Since then, there have been efforts to analyze the extent of contamination, especially in groundnuts and maize. More recent investigation and intervention aimed mostly to reduce the level of contamination enough to allow such commodities to gain acceptance in the international market. The current status of knowledge is still marginal but the increasing involvement of local authorities, academia and international organizations seems promising.

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Size-based fungal growth studies have limitations. For example, the growth in size stops in closed systems once it reaches the borders and poorly describes the metabolic status, especially in the stationary phase. This might lead mycotoxin studies to unrealistic results. Color change could be a viable alternative as pigments are results of the mold’s metabolic activity. This study aimed to verify the possibility of using gray values and the RGB system to analyze the growth of Fusarium graminearum. It consisted color and area measurement using the ImageJ software for specimens grown in yeast extract agar (YEA). The results suggest the usability of color and gray values as reliable tools to analyze the growth of F. graminearum.

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Mozambique is endemic to aflatoxigenic Aspergillus but the country has to heavily rely on foreign research to deduct what is happening locally. There is some information produced by local scholars and institutions but it needs to be “tied” together. This review briefly synthetizes the country’s major findings in relation to the toxin’s etiology, epidemiology, detection and control, discussing and meta-analyzing them as far as they allow. The causes and foods affected are the same as in most tropical countries, the toxin is widespread and the level of exposure is high. Regarding the control, it is still marginal but some institutions have driven efforts in this direction. Learning from other countries is still the best approach to take, as the solutions are probably the same for most places.

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Zero-Knowledge Proofs ZKP provide a reliable option to verify that a claim is true without giving detailed information other than the answer. A classical example is provided by the ZKP based in the Graph Isomorphism problem (GI), where a prover must convince the verifier that he knows an isomorphism between two isomorphic graphs without publishing the bijection. We design a novel ZKP exploiting the NP-hard problem of finding the algebraic ideal of a multivariate polynomial set, and consequently resistant to quantum computer attacks. Since this polynomial set is obtained considering instances of GI, we guarantee that the protocol is at least as secure as the GI based protocol.

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The development of organ-on-chip and biological scaffolds is currently requiring simpler methods to microstructure biocompatible materials in three dimensions, fabricate structural and functional elements in biomaterials or modify the physicochemical properties of desired substrates. Aiming at addressing this need, a low-power CD-DVD-Blu-ray laser pickup head was mounted on a programmable three-axis micro-displacement system in order to modify the surface of polymeric materials in a local fashion. Thanks to a specially-designed method using a strongly absorbing additive coating the materials of interest, it has been possible to establish and precisely control processes useful in microtechnology for biomedical applications. The system was upgraded with blu-ray laser for additive manufacturing and ablation on a single platform. In this work, we present the application of these fabrication techniques to the development of biomimetic cellular culture platforms thanks to the simple integration of several features typically achieved with traditional, less cost-effective microtechnology methods in one step or through replica-molding. Our straightforward approach indeed enables great control of local laser microablation or polymerization for true on-demand biomimetic micropatterned designs in transparent polymers and hydrogels and is allowing integration of microfluidics, microelectronics, surface microstructuring and transfer of superficial protein micropatterns on a variety of biocompatible materials.

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Australian regional areas are now receiving significant numbers of migrants from the African continent. Predominantly Anglo-Saxon communities perceive these ‘newcomers’ as physically and culturally different. Asking, however, how African migrants themselves construct relationships with local communities and build a sense of belonging in regional and rural areas is a very different question. This paper explores South Sudanese migrants’experiences conceptualising their sense of belonging in a small county town: Castlemaine, Victoria. Focus group discussions show that even with the welcoming atmosphere and support from the local community, South Sudanese migrants are still attracted to metropolitan environments that have greater diversity, feeling more at home in such settings. Using the theoretical background of a stranger, this paper argues the cities allow strangers be un-noticed letting them feel at ‘home’. Findings from the study show settings with greater diversity encourage negotiating difference openly and easing power imbalances among different groups.Finally, the locality of Castlemaine, within easy commuting distance to metropolitan Melbourne and suburbs, is considered in relation to hypermobility reducing the capacity to construct ‘bridging capital’ within such local communities.

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